Film

6
Aug 10

Tag, You’re It! – Eugene Lee Yang

It’s been awhile since my initial attempt at this “Tag, You’re It!” blog series. Well, it’s been awhile since I’ve really BLOGGED about anything, cuz’ well, it’s been crazy busy. Ack, my apologies.

Onto the victim! J/k. Eugene Lee Yang! I’ve blogged about him before and I’ll definitely blog about him again! So who is he? Well, he’s an amazingly young and talented visionary director friend of mine. Truly, truly gifted!

I met Eugene after an audition a little over a year ago. He was standing around the lobby taking a break from his casting session. A mutual friend of ours, producer Melissa Lee, introduced us. Next thing you know we’re joking about how cute of a couple we’d make (oh, Eugene… if only you liked me that way~ lol). And well, I didn’t book that other audition… but I ended up making a new friend AND going on to work on a few of his projects! Right place, right time!

So I’ve had the privilege of working with Eugene three times now. First time on a beautiful short called “Ma Cite, Mon Cite.” Second time on “The Art of Fame,” the LG Fame Us! Grand Prize Winner. And most recently on a Marina and the Diamonds spec video, “I Am Not A Princess”… probably the most epic fan video ever made. Gosh, Eugene… you never cease to amaze!

Yup, ELY’s gonna blow up FOR SURE. He’s freakin’ amazing. He can do EVERYTHING. For example, for “The Art of Fame,” he didn’t even have a crew. He produced, shot, directed, edited, and even choreographed it by himself! Freakin’ ridiculous. I really can’t wait to see what’s in store for him!

Official Bio:
Eugene Lee Yang is a narrative filmmaker who received his BA in Cinematic Arts Production from the University of Southern California in 2008. During his studies he wrote and directed six short films focusing on stories that explored a vast array of social and political issues, including mental health care, gay marriage, and school shootings. He is currently directing independent music videos and writing his first feature length screenplay. Yang was born in Pflugerville, Texas, and considers Paris, France a second home. He is endlessly inspired by the remarkable diversity of Los Angeles. More than anything, he is excited to embark upon his career in film and looks forward to the unique projects and people he hopes to work with.

To see more of ELY’s work, go to youtube.com/profeugenius

21
Jul 10

The LXD… the uprising begins!


Just caught up with “The LXD” on Hulu. Episodes 4 and 5 were released today and it seems that the story is finally being set into motion after three episodes of setting up specific characters.

I gotta say, I’m digging this so far. The story is intriguing, the actors/dancers are all hot so far (lol), and the choreography is tight. I myself am NOT a dancer, but I do enjoy the skills of others, so if you don’t appreciate dance, then this might not be a series for you as this is obviously very dance heavy. There’s definitely some sort of superhero/bad guy storyline going on, but it’s still very early to comment on how good the overall story is. But so far, I’ve been intrigued enough to want to continue to watch!

My fave episode so far? “Robot Lovestory” (episode 3):

Watch all the episodes here: http://www.hulu.com/the-lxd
(unfortunately, this is only available in the U.S. for now. Intl’ peeps, stay tuned… it should be out by September according to Jon M. Chu).

Get more info at: thelxd.com

P.S. – Spotted my friend, Vivian Bang, in episode 4! Go Vivian!

13
Jul 10

Why Am I Doing This?

Have you ever asked yourself that question? When you’ve been in a situation where you were hustlin’ and grindin’… trying to make something happen with blood, sweat, and tears, but the odds are against you, and well, you just keep facing rejection? Meet Lester and Tony, two best friends who are trying to make it in entertainment. Neither of them can seem to catch a break. So seriously, why are they doing what they do?

I just watched this film a few hours ago, and to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. I’ve seen a lot of “Asian American films” and I’ll just say my experience has lowered my expectations overall when it comes to that genre (films written/directed/produced by Asian Americans). Well, this film exceeded my expectations. I thought it was quite clever without any cheesy Asian stereotype jokes… gotta love the random inserts of satire. I also feel like it was a pretty good (and humorous) portrayal of what it’s like for those struggling to breakthrough in entertainment. The film has it’s flaws though. For example, I think some of the casting of supporting characters was a little strange (like I couldn’t really believe that some people were supposed to be related to each other) and the story drags just a little bit towards the end. But overall, very fun, cute, and feel good (with a not so typical Hollywood ending… actually, the entire film is not really typical). Finally, even though it may have been written, produced, and directed by an Asian American (Tom Huang, who actually stars in it as well), this story isn’t an Asian American story. If you’ve ever struggled for your passion, been jaded by rejection, or don’t know what you’re doing in life, you might be able to relate.

(ah yes, there’s romance in this, too!)

Sound like something you or someone you know would enjoy? Well, the DVD is now available at: Amazon.com, Target.com, BestBuy.com, and WalMart.com!

For more info, check out: whyamidoingthis.net


P.S. – It’s interesting timing that I happened to get a hold of this DVD right now… especially since Artichoke and I recently vlogged about our experiences in entertainment. So have I ever asked myself this question, “why am I doing this?” Heck yes. As recently as yesterday. But! I know what my answer is! :]

2
Jul 10

“Ktown Cowboys” – Episode 8

Finally, it’s here… and it looks like it’s come to an end… or has it?

29
Jun 10

The LXD

This is gonna be sooo dope!!! Can’t wait. 7/7/2010 only on Hulu!

Watch the trailer on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8toQxUVejiE

http://www.thelxd.com

26
Jun 10

Ninja Say What?!

Fun quick shoot that Artichoke and I were involved with:

Ninja, what??? And yah, Artichoke and I pretty much come in a pair now. You can’t cast one without the other. It’s on our contracts. Haha j/k :P

19
Jun 10

The Butterfly Circus

Great little short film I saw tonight at the Talent 1 Media Film Festival:

Watch in higher quality here.

I got to talk with Rebekah Weigel (writer and producer) for a little bit after the screening and I was so happy to hear that they’re developing the feature-length version of this. From what they were saying, this film came together with lots of prayer and miracles! Speaking of which… Nick Vujicic (who plays Will, NO CGI) is a living miracle himself. I had actually seen this YouTube video of him a few years ago, so I was pleasantly surprised to see him acting in this short film!

So inspirational. I love love love it.

More info: The Butterfly Circus on Facebook!

18
Jun 10

“Ktown Cowboys” – Episode 7

노래방 (NORAEBANG) TIME!!! You gotta see what happens at 4:11. Hahaha. Definitely my favorite character.

Watch all the episodes of “Ktown Cowboys” here: http://youtube.com/dpdctv

13
Jun 10

Talent 1 Media Film Festival x 1040

Next Saturday (6/19), FREE screening of 1040 at the Talent 1 Media Film Festival! 3pm at the Aratani Japan America Theatre. Click below for more info.


12
Jun 10

“Ktown Cowboys” – Episode 6

For those of you who’ve been following, remember the setup in episode 1? Well, this is the moment you’ve been waiting for: